Known directional sounder devices, for use in fire alarm and evacuation systems, generate broad band directional sound so as to help the evacuees more accurately locate the location of an emergency exit. Known forms of these devices are not addressable. In one configuration, they are located at emergency exit doors in the vicinity of illuminated EXIT signs. In this configuration, they can be used as redundant exit indicators. Alternately they can be mounted along an exit path.
One form of a directional sounder is marketed by the System Sensor Division of Honeywell International under the brand name “Exit Pointe”. Other broad brand directional sounders are also available in the market place. When activated members of groups of such device operate in a non-synchronized fashion to help define evacuation or output paths.
There continue to be ongoing needs to more effectively direct evacuees along emergency evacuation paths. It would be desirable to be able to not only provide identifying indicia as to the location of the path or paths, and provide a sense of direction along the path(s), but also to be able to dynamically change the path or paths in response to ongoing emergency conditions. For example, as a fire spreads it may be desirable to substantially change the identified evacuation path or paths so as to direct people away from the spreading fire, even though the result may be that the path length itself increases.
It would also be desirable to be able to use known types of directional sounders in ways that increase the value of the output sound to persons in need of a evacuating a region.